2007年VOA标准英语-US Lawmakers Urge Arab Pressure on Sudan

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
25 April 2007

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are urging Arab states to step up pressure on Sudan to end the bloodshed in Darfur. VOA's Dan Robinson reports from Capitol Hill, where the House considered a resolution on the Darfur crisis.

Statements on Darfur came as the House considered a resolution urging the League of Arab States to acknowledge, and step up efforts to end the conflict in the region.

It urges Arab League countries to declare the systematic¹ torture, rape² and displacement³ of Darfurians a genocide.

The resolution also urges the Arab League to approve a resolution at its next meeting supporting the deployment⁵ of U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur and recognizing this as the best option to enforce a ceasefire, protect civilians⁶ and ensure access to humanitarian⁷ aid.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer

House majority leader Steny Hoyer, who recently visited Darfur, referred to actions he says Egyptian President Mubarak pledged to take during a meeting with U.S. lawmakers.

"President Mubarak says that he has urged Bashir to accept and facilitate humanitarian worker's work, to make their visas accessible, make their travel around the country easier," he said. "I also understand that [Egyptian] foreign minister [Ahmed Abul] Gheit, with whom we met, is currently in Sudan and it is my hope he is delivering the same message that we spoke⁸ of."

Hoyer was referring to the Egyptian official's visit to Khartoum this week, during which he delivered a message from President Mubarak and discussed the situation in Darfur.

But some U.S. lawmakers have also noted⁹ an Egyptian government statement criticizing moves to impose sanctions against Sudan over the Darfur issue.

Yvette Clark, a New York Democrat¹⁰, says the Arab League has a special responsibility where Darfur is concerned.

"The purpose of the League of Arab States is to coordinate¹¹ the cultural and security policies of its member states, of which Sudan is a member," said Clark. "If genocide or any atrocity¹² is taking place in one member state, the other member states have a duty to recognize and act to end it."

Republican Congressman¹³ Chris Smith says Arab governments need to do more to facilitate a solution in Darfur:

"The collective voice of the Arab League could clearly help save thousands of lives and bring peace and security to Darfur," he said. "Right now, they are part of the problem. It is time the Arab League [becomes] part of the solution."

The resolution also strongly urges the Arab League to work with the United Nations, and with President Bush's special envoy¹⁴ for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, to bring about real and lasting¹⁵ peace and stability to Darfur, refugee camps, and areas along the border with Chad.

The resolution's main sponsor, Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California, was part of the most recent congressional delegation¹⁶ to Darfur, her third visit.

She notes that key Arab states such as Egypt Saudi Arabia are reported to have played a key role in pressing Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir to agree to the second phase of a plan to deploy⁴ a hybrid¹⁷ African Union-United Nations peacekeeping force.

Lee adds there is no substitute for renewed Arab and international efforts to ensure that the full 20,000 strong force is deployed¹⁸.

"There is still much more that they [Arab League] can do, and that we can do," she said. "We must demand that President Bashir follow through on the full deployment of the African Union - U.N. hybrid force, and we must urge all parties, the rebels and the government, to end the violence and come to the table to negotiate a political solution, but we cannot and we should not hold a ceasefire declaration hostage to a peace agreement and vice¹⁹ versa."

U.S. lawmakers, in particular members of the Congressional Black Caucus²⁰, have stepped up their own personal diplomacy²¹ during the past year with Arab League ambassadors and other officials on Darfur.

President Bush recently warned the U.S. will tighten²² financial and other sanctions against the Sudan government if it continues to ignore international demands to end violence in Darfur.

Some lawmakers wanted the president to announce immediate²³ action, rather than give Khartoum a few more weeks to act, a request from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

1 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

2 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

3 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

4 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

5 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

11 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

12 atrocity   

n.残暴，暴行

参考例句：

• These people are guilty of acts of great atrocity.这些人犯有令人发指的暴行。
• I am shocked by the atrocity of this man's crimes.这个人行凶手段残忍狠毒使我震惊。

13 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

14 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

15 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

16 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

17 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

18 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

19 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

20 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

21 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

22 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

23 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。